White Strawberries: Gardening for Wellness & Joy

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There’s no shortage of gardening advice online — but more information isn’t making us better gardeners. In fact, it’s often doing the opposite.
In this Mastering the Garden episode of White Strawberries, Sam explores why overwhelm, comparison, and perfectly curated (often fake AI rubbish) can quietly drain our confidence and joy. If you’ve ever felt like you’re “doing it wrong” despite knowing so much, this episode is for you.
This is a conversation about community over content — and why real transformation on our land doesn’t come from another tip, trick, or algorithm-fed reel. It comes from proximity. From being around people who observe carefully, ask better questions, and live intentionally with their land — not perfectly, but honestly.
Drawing on permaculture thinking, lived experience, and the idea of “spirals” of achievement versus apathy, Sam unpacks how peer groups quietly shape our standards, energy, and outcomes in the garden (and beyond). She also shares practical ways to find — or create — the kind of gardening community that actually supports growth, alignment, and joy.
This episode also gently introduces Grounded, an upcoming course designed to bring real people together in real time — not for more information, but for shared momentum and discernment.
🌱 If you’re ready to step off the information treadmill and into something more grounded, this one’s for you.
🌱 What You’ll Discover
Why gardening overwhelm isn’t an information problem
How peer groups influence confidence, standards, and joy
The difference between spirals of apathy and achievement
Why AI garden imagery is damaging our garden
Real-world ways to find or create aligned gardening communities
How intentional proximity accelerates learning and clarity
🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes You Might Enjoy
Help! My Garden Isn’t Thriving | Mastering the Garden
3 Reasons Not to Garden | Sparking Joy
Permaculture: Explained | With Dr. Sez the Vet

 🌱 Join the Grounded waitlist:
👉 LINK COMING SOON- Come back soon🤗
(Details shared with the waitlist first. No commitment.)
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Creating garden goals that bring you joy, wellness, and sustainability in 2026—without getting caught in the “more, more, more” trap!
I guide you through a simple four-question exercise to set achievable garden intentions:
Choosing two new plants to try this year
Making your garden easier and more sustainable
Shifting your mindset to let go of what doesn’t serve you
Tackling that one task you’ve been putting off, in a way that’s fun
Let's do it together! I'll share my goals and lots of examples of what you might like.

References & Resources
Koanga Institute (Heirloom & Heritage Seeds – NZ) – sourcing broad beans and other seeds
https://koanga.org.nz/

Ashwagandha: a medicinal herb that comes with a bunch of hype around it at the moment... So of course I want to grow it 😉
Previous White Strawberries Episodes Mentioned:
What to Grow When: Timing Your Veges Right | Mastering the Garden

Nitrogen 101: Transforms Your Garden | Mastering the Garden

Wine Cap Mushrooms in Orchards | With Sarah Williams

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Supermarkets love annual crops — but only a very narrow version of them.
In this Sparking Joy episode of White Strawberries, I explore annual vegetables and fruits you’ll almost never see on supermarket shelves — not because they’re inferior!!
We talk about why supermarket produce is bred for transport, uniformity, and shelf life — and what gets lost along the way: flavour, phytonutrients, biodiversity, and joy. From purple tomatoes and unusual potatoes to heirloom beans, peas, and self-seeding “weeds,” this episode celebrates annual plants that thrive in real gardens, not industrial systems.

🌱 What You’ll Discover
Why supermarkets sell such limited annual varieties
Annual plants that thrive outside industrial systems
Nitrogen-fixing crops that feed both you and the soil
Community-loved annuals you won’t find on shelves
How joy, flavour, and wellness are deeply connected
🔗 References & Resources Mentioned
Koanga Institute (Heirloom & Heritage Seeds – NZ)

Cooking Beans — Susan Young

🎧 Previous White Strawberries Episodes You Might Enjoy:

What to Grow When: Timing Your Veges Right | Mastering the Garden
 
Nitrogen 101: Transforms Your Garden | Mastering the Garden
 
Wine Cap Mushrooms in Orchards | With Sarah Williams
 
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Next summer, I’m choosing a quieter, more generous way of gardening — more perennials, less hustle.
In this Sparking Joy episode of White Strawberries, I reflect on why perennial plants suit real life so much better than annual-heavy gardens, especially when you’re a parent, a busy human, or simply someone who wants joy without burnout.
We explore what makes a plant perennial, why supermarkets shape such a narrow food system, and how home gardeners have the freedom to grow softer, stranger, more seasonal, and more nutritious plants. From globe artichokes and asparagus to berries, figs, kawakawa, and heritage fruit, this episode celebrates the plants that keep giving — even when we step away.
I also share how I’m planning my own perennial spaces using soil clues, microclimates, wind, drainage, and community wisdom, plus a community-sourced list of favourite edible perennials that rarely appear in supermarkets — and why that’s exactly the point.
🌱 Gardening for wellness, curiosity, and joy — not perfection.
🌿 What You’ll Discover
Why perennials thrive when life gets busy
The hidden ways supermarkets shape what we eat
Why flavour, diversity, and resilience matter more than shelf life
How to plan perennial placement using soil, wind, shade, and drainage
Why heirloom and heritage plants outperform supermarket varieties
Favourite edible perennials shared by the community
How perennials can support and protect annual garden beds
🔗 References & Resources Mentioned
Koanga Institute (Heirloom Seeds – NZ)
Koanga Institute – Living Seed Bank

Previous White Strawberries Episodes that may be your next step:
Perennial Vegetables for Harvesting Over Winter | Sparking Joy
 
Mediterranean Guild Gardening: Figs, Grapes, Olives & Companions | Mastering the Garden
Elderberries: Grow & Use Them Year-Round | Sparking Joy

Growing Tropicals in a Cold Climate | With Steve Fawcett

🪴 Community-Favourite Edible Perennials List:
Apricot, banana passionfruit, blackberries, blackcurrants, blueberries, boysenberries, cape gooseberries, cherries, currants (red/white/black), elderberries, feijoas, figs (fruit + leaves), grapes (fruit + leaves), guava berries, huckleberries, josta berries, lemons and citrus varieties, loquats*, sorrel, mango, medlar, mulberries, paw paw (mountain & American), passionfruit (yellow, banana, vanilla), pepino, plumcot, peachcot, quince, raspberries, tamarillo, watercress, alpine strawberries (red & white), yacón, Jerusalem artichoke.

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Discover the gentle power of manure in your garden! In this episode, Sam dives into ruminant manure, vermicompost tea, and worm juice, showing how these natural fertilizers can improve soil health, boost nutrient uptake, and make your plants thrive. Learn practical tips for safe application, the science behind soil-building benefits, and how to make the most of your compost and worm farm.
🌱 What You’ll Discover:
Why ruminant manure (cow, sheep, alpaca) is safe and weed-free
How mixed manures and vermicompost improve soil and fruit quality
Practical tips for liquid feeds, soil drenching, and foliar sprays
The difference between vermicompost tea and worm juice
Tools and tricks to track plant health and nutrient density
📚 References & Episodes:
Help! My Garden Isn’t Thriving – Episode 24

Composting! Hot or Not? – Episode 9

2022 Plants journal study on kiwi fruit and manure
⏱ Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Welcome
01:15 Listener Feedback & Corrections
03:10 Understanding Ruminant Manure
07:25 Research on Manure & Soil Health
13:50 Practical Tips for Using Manure
18:45 Vermicompost Tea vs Worm Juice
23:30 Applying Manure Safely
28:15 Final Thoughts & Listener Engagement
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